Appendix - CNIC

SCIENTIFIC REPORT ´09
Cardiovascular imaging
> RESEARCH INTEREST
Our laboratory develops advanced non-invasive, molecularresolution
technologies for precise diagnosis and treatment
of cardiovascular disease.
Our recent work related to clinical studies has concentrated
on the development of protocols connected to the High Risk
Population study of middle aged populations. We have added
protocols for the detection of unrecognized myocardial
infarction and for the substitution of PET/CT technology with
PET/MR, a hybrid system being developed through the
European Union financed HYPERImage Project. These
studies will enable detection of previous subclinical
cardiovascular disease and may provide new prognostic
markers for identifying patients at higher risk of severe
clinical events.
Other projects ongoing during 2009 include the PESA study
(Progression of Early Subclinical Atherosclerosis), run in
collaboration with the Departments of Translational Research
and Epidemiology. Subject recruitment for PESA is due to
4 Atherothrombosis and Cardiovascular Imaging
The Cardiovascular Imaging Lab is a multi-center group formed through national and international collaborations
Head of Laboratory: Valentín Fuster (CNIC, Mt. Sinai Medical Center, New York)
Research Scientists: Luis Jesús Jiménez Borreguero (CNIC - Hospital de la Princesa Research Agreement)
Zahi Fayad (Mt. Sinai Medical Center)
Juan José Badimón (Mt. Sinai Medical Center)
Jesús Mateo (CNIC)
CardioImage Fellow: Gabriela Guzmán (CNIC, Hospital de La Paz, Madrid)
Predoctoral Researcher: Patricia García (CNIC)
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start in 2010. Last year also saw the planning of studies to
use enhanced CE-MRI to quantify infarct size and postinfarction
left ventricular remodeling. These data will be of
great clinical value as they will allow accurate imaging and
quantification of cardioprotection. The combination of MRI
and clinical end points will permit a new stratification of
patients at high risk of heart failure and future clinical
events.
Animal studies in our laboratory address four key areas: the
aortic territory (especially in relation to aneurysm), the brain
and aging, vascular regeneration (“vasa vasorum”), and
atherothrombosis as an inflammatory disease. Over the last
year we have collaborated with groups in the Vascular Biology
and Inflammation department to develop new immune
models of mouse myocarditis and aortic aneurysm. In
addition, a new mouse model of ventricular hypertrophy has
been developed in collaboration with groups from the
Universidad Autónoma, Madrid.